May I Have This Dance?
by HannahRachel05
Summary: A series of short stories capturing the many dances Princess Leia has danced throughout her life. Featuring plenty of HanxLeia! I don't own Star Wars, I'm just playing around with the characters! I do, however, own a lot of Star Wars memorabilia.
1. Age 3

Leia tossed and turned in her huge bed that could practically swallow her whole. Her sleep was being haunted by nightmares of an evil man draped in black, a blood red lightsaber, and deep feelings of dread and fear. At first her cries were only whimpers, but soon they evolved into desperate wails.

Bail Organa heard his daughter's terrified screams from down the hall. He threw on his robe and rushed into his little girl's room. His predictions about the cause of her fear were confirmed when he saw her writhing on the bed, tears streaming down her face.

He approached her softly and gently shook her to wake her up.

"Leia, my precious darling, it's okay. Papa's here, it was just a nightmare."

It took some more shaking to wake Leia, and a few more seconds for her to become aware of her surroundings. Upon recognition of her father, she crumpled into his arms and sobbed.

"It was so scary, Papa! The man in black was here to get me again! And he was going to get you too." She whimpered the last part.

Bail tenderly graced his fingers upon Leia's cheek, wiping away her tears. If only he could just as easily wipe away the nightmares. Her deep, brown eyes were filled with such fear, and he hated that Vader had to terrorize her dreams. She should be dreaming of playing, sunshine, and happiness. Three-year-old dreams should be innocent, and he hated that Vader stripped her of that one piece of childhood purity. But unfortunately, the nightmares showed no sign of stopping, only becoming worse.

"I know what will make you feel better," Bail stated, looking at Leia with a gleam in his eye.

Leia pondered this for a moment, then the same gleam appeared in her eyes.

"A dance?"

"Precisely! Now let's see if you remember everything I taught you." Bail rose from her bed and offered Leia his hand.

"May I have this dance?"

"Yes you may, Viceroy Organa," Leia replied politely.

Bail and Leia faced each other. Then Bail bowed, his robe billowing out behind him, and Leia curtsied in her white lace nightgown. Bail picked her up and placed her on his feet so that she could reach his hands. Even after three years, she was still so tiny.

He proceeded to rock back and forth, with Leia resting her head on his belly.

"Wait, Papa, we don't have any music."

Bail chuckled, held his daughter closer, and began to hum an Alderaanian lullaby. Holding his daughter tight, he felt like nothing in the galaxy could ever hurt her again. All that surrounded them was peace and undying love.

Bail soon noticed that Leia's head began to droop and that she was fighting to keep her eyes open. He scooped her up and carried her back to her bed. As soon as she made contact with the surface, she was fast asleep. Bail tucked the covers under her chin and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.

"Sweet dreams, my Princess."


	2. Age 9

Leia's little feet dashed as fast as they could, while her hands brushed away emerald leaves and bushes. She couldn't let William catch up with her. She had to win the race this time.

Prince William was her best friend, even though he was only able to visit the palace for about three weeks in the entire year. But every visit was magical, especially in the summer. They would race through the forest to the lake behind the palace. There they swam, climbed willow trees, went fishing, and laid in the soft grasses by the waterside. William and Leia would talk for hours about their hopes, imaginative fantasies, and the overwhelming freedom from being royal when they were with each other.

For the past two days, William had beat Leia to the lake, but Leia's competitive streak would not allow this to occur a third time. She could hear William gaining on her, and she whipped her head around to see how close he was. Sure enough, William was right behind her sticking out his tongue.

Unfortunately, Leia kept her head turned for a second too long. Before she could stop herself, she tumbled head-first into the crystal blue lake. Leia let out a surprised yelp before she was submerged.

"Leia!" William shouted, running straight into the water after her. When the pair were in the presence of their parents, they would always address each other as "Prince" and "Princess". However, their friendship apart from their parents was intimate enough for just first names.

Leia arose from the water with soppy, brown hair, and a small scratch on her nose. Her white dress was torn at the shoulder and speckled with mud. William couldn't hold in his laughter.

"You look like an utter mess!" He giggled.

Leia scowled at him. "Help me up now, laugh later."

Still chuckling, William extended a hand to Leia. As he began to pull her up, his foot slipped on a rock, causing both him and Leia to fall in.

Once both children found the surface again, they caught a look at each other. They were completely soaked and dirty. At the same time, they burst out laughing. Leia and William stood up and began running around and splashing the cool liquid towards each other. They soon tired out and began to merely float in silence on the lake's surface like lily pads. In the distance towards town, they could hear raucous folk music playing.

"Have you ever heard about the legend of the water nymphs?" William asked.

"No, I haven't."

"Basically, when a human falls in a body of water, they have to return to land and dance to shake the water off. Or else they will be turned into a water nymph forever!"

Leia eyed William skeptically. "You just made that up," she stated.

He stared back at her and scrunched up his nose. "Maybe I did! But it doesn't hurt to have a little imagination. Also, it's always best to be safe. We don't want to cursed to the water forever!"

Leia let out a small giggle, her eyes lighting up with the innocence of child play. William immediately leapt out of the water and scrambled to land.

"Hurry, Leia! Before it's too late! May I have this dance?"

Laughing harder, Leia gathered up her skirts and waded through the water to meet William on the grass. The two bowed and curtsied to one another before engaging in a wild, Alderaanian folk dance. They spun to and fro, bare feet intertwined with the lake grasses. Leia's hair danced around her shoulders in time with their feet, and pure droplets of water leapt off of their bodies and glistened in the air.

William and Leia did not stop laughing and dancing until their feet gave out from beneath them. They eventually flopped onto the ground, breathing heavily.

When Leia finally caught her breath, she said, "For all of this effort, it better have worked."

William peered at Leia's side with concern. "Oh no, are those gills I see?"

Leia playfully shoved William back to the ground. "I know it's not real, silly!"

But at her first chance when William turned away, Leia quickly glanced at and felt her side. She wasn't taking any chances, myth or not.


	3. Age 14

Princess Leia should have known that going to the ball by herself was a bad idea.

The Bryton family (a noble family of Alderaan) hosted a ball to celebrate the first day of winter every year, and Leia was certain this would be the first year a boy would ask her to the ball. She would even stand in front of the mirror practicing how she would respond once someone asked. Would she gasp in surprise, or be demure and respond shyly? Leia stayed up at night sifting through catalogs of ballgowns, simply drooling over the choices.

To her dismay, the princess realized three days before the ball, when all of her friends had been asked except her, that it was not going to happen. In a moment of feminist pride, Leia boldly told her friends that she would attend the ball alone. Unless you were a lady under the age of thirteen, going to the ball without an escort was simply taboo in society. Nonetheless, Leia and her progressive father supported the notion of women's independence.

Now, as Leia sat on the sidelines watching all of her friends dancing and laughing with their dates, Leia felt not independent, but utterly alone. Her mind began to mock her, _Why weren't you asked by someone? What did you do differently? You're obviously not pretty enough. You're not a proper princess._

One tear escaped Leia's eye, and she admonished herself for letting her emotions show in public. But once that one tear was set free, others began to pool at the bottom of her eyes. Leia feared she would not be able to hold them in and dashed out of the ballroom. She ran as fast as her heels would allow her, picking up the bottom of her sparkly white dress. Leia recalled when she finally chose the dress she wanted to wear.

 _"Oh Leia!" Breha Organa exclaimed. "You look absolutely stunning!"_

 _The dress was pure white, with a layer of sparkling tulle. The sleeves were white lace, long and tight around her arms._

 _Leia sized herself up in the mirror. "Are you sure I don't look like a snowflake?"_

 _"You do, but in the most beautiful way. And do you know why?"_

 _The young girl shook her head._

 _"Because snowfakes are so unique. Not one snowflake is like the other. Just like you, Leia. There is absolutely no one like you in the whole galaxy."_

 _Leia frowned and began to play with her hair. "Maybe if I was like the other girls, I would get asked to the ball," she spoke softly._

 _Her mother came over and took Leia's hands in her own. "Look at me, Leia," she said firmly. "Don't you dare ever change who you are so that men will like you. Because not only is that dishonest to him, but it is dishonest to you. You want a man that loves you exactly the way you are, special just like a snowflake. Perhaps now all boys look at are gorgeous girls, but one day a man will not only see your beauty. He will see that you are smart, determined, and kind. Your inner beauty."_

Leia slammed the door to a cleaning closet behind her. She slid down the door and began to sob. Why couldn't a boy see her inner beauty now?

Suddenly, the door to the closet flew open and Leia fell backwards onto the floor. She hit her head on the marble and let out a loud Alderaanian curse. She blacked out for a moment. As her vision began to clear, Leia fixed her watery, brown eyes on a young man standing above her with a worried expression.

"Your Highness, I am so sorry, I did not expect someone to be in there! Are you feeling okay? Can you get up?"

The princess nodded her head and took the boy's hand gratefully. Upon seeing Leia's tear-stained face, the lad began to panic some more.

"Oh my goodness, did you hit your head really hard? I should probably fetch a doc-"

Leia laughed and interrupted, "No, I'm fine. I was...crying before you found me. It's not your fault." She gave the boy, who she assumed was a servant, a reassuring smile. "I should probably return to the ball then."

"Wait!" The boy grabbed Leia's arm lightly. "Do you need someone to talk to? Why were you crying on such a happy occasion?" He took a seat on a nearby windowsill and gestured next to him.

Leia was touched by the care this young man showed, and proceeded to sit beside him.

"I suppose I am upset because I came to this ball by myself. Me and my ridiculous feminist brain thought it was a good idea to do so. And now I'm lonely because all of my friends are having a lovely evening with their dates while I am sitting by myself at the table, silently praying for even just one man to ask me to dance. I never realized how boring a ball is unless you have someone to share it with."

"If I may say so, Your Highness, I think it is very brave and inspiring of you to come here on your own. Not ridiculous at all." He chuckled to himself. "Only Princess Leia Organa would have the guts to do such a thing. There is truly no one like you in the galaxy."

Leia's eyes widened and she spun her head around. "What was the last thing you said?"

Afraid he spoke out of turn, the servant repeated timidly, "There is no one like you in the galaxy?"

The princess' eyes shimmered, outshining her dress. Her mother's voice resounded in her head. _There is absolutely no one like you in the whole galaxy._

"I can never thank you enough...uh..."

"Jacob."

"Jacob."

"May I ask why?"

"Because you showed me that there are boys out there who notice inner beauty. And you reminded me that I'm a snowflake."

Jacob looked slightly confused, but grinned and simply said, "You are welcome, I suppose."

Princess Leia stood, smoothed her dress, and sighed. "Well, there isn't much left for me do here. I might as well go home. Again, thank you for everything, Jacob."

She turned and began to walk down the hallway when Jacob shouted, "Hold on!"

Leia turned. "Yes?"

"May I have this dance?"

Stunned, Leia stammered, "W-what?"

Jacob walked towards Leia. "You said that all you wanted was for at least one man to ask you to dance tonight. So I'm asking you to dance."

Leia's eyes began to fill with tears again. She took Jacob's hand and remarked, "You are a snowflake too."

The boy placed his hand lightly on Leia's hip and the two began to sway to the faint sound of the string quartet from the ballroom. Leia was all nerves as she had never slow danced with a boy before, especially completely alone. Once the song ended, Leia realized that her head was resting on Jacob's shoulder. She picked it up and pressed a light kiss to his cheek, causing him to blush.

"What do you mean by snowflake?"

Leia smiled widely. "There is no one else like you in the whole galaxy."


	4. Age 19

Han Solo sat back and kicked up his feet, watching all of the members of the Rebel Alliance dance, laugh, and party. High Command decided that a little celebration for the destruction of the Death Star was in order, and Han Solo was not one to miss out on a party. But tomorrow, he and Chewie would be flying out of there.

The celebration had quickly turned into a raucous party, with drinks flowing freely and loud noise constantly. All of sudden, Luke Skywalker stumbled over and landed in Han's lap.

"Hey Kid, watch where you going! You almost spilled my drink!" Han chastised the youth.

Luke merely giggled as he ungracefully stood up. "You almost spilled _my_ drink," he slurred.

Han could see that the kid was thoroughly toasted. His annoyance faded into amusement as he watched Luke try to fix an askew button on his shirt.

"Hey Han?!" He shouted. "Do you know where Leia is? I want to find her."

"I think Her Royal Highnessness went to bed a while ago," Han replied. To be completely honest, Han had no clue where the princess was. He remembered seeing her in a corner holding a drink at the beginning of the celebration, but had not seen her since. But he figured it was probably best that Luke didn't find Leia and make a dumb decision under the influence.

"Han, you're so mean, you always call her names," Luke whined. "I wish I could find her. She's reaaaaallllly pretty."

Han smirked and led Luke over to a group of pilots. "I know, she is. But these guys really want to see you do a Force trick, isn't that right guys?"

His question was answered by a chorus of drunken cheers.

"Oh all right, fellas!" Luke yelled, and he was welcomed into the group.

Han retreated back to the outskirts of the party. He began to worry slightly about the princess. She was an integral part of the destruction of the Death Star, and she deserved to celebrate. Where was she? He made his way down the hallway to her cabin, hoping to find her there.

 _Wait, why do I care?_ Han thought. I _'m just the mercenary who doesn't care about anything or anybody,_ in the Princess' words. Just as Han was about to turn back, he saw Leia at the end of the hallway, crouched against the wall with the drink in her hand.

Han approached her slowly and crouched down beside her. She seemed to be in a trance, staring down at the ground in front of her. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Leia nearly jumped out of her skin, dropping her empty bottle on the floor. "I won't tell you anything!" She shouted.

"Whoa, whoa, Princess, it's me!" Han held up his hands as if in surrender. A glint of recognition came into Leia's eyes, followed quickly by despair. She blushed, embarrassed by her reaction.

"I'm sorry, Han. I'm just...not myself right now."

Han could tell that Leia was in a bad place, so he sat down beside her against the wall. "Well, who are you then?" He quipped.

"Just another one of the hundreds of prisoners on the Death Star. Worthless in their eyes," she said hoarsely.

A surge of anger filled Han towards the Empire, towards everything they subjected her to, all the pain they caused in her tiny frame.

"Hey, now you listen to me! You are not worthless. You are Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. You mean a lot to a lot of people. The Rebellion, Luke, me." The last word slipped out before he could stop it. But Leia did not seem to notice. Han continued, "And the Death Star is gone now, so none of that matters anymore."

Leia whispered, "And Alderaan is gone too."

The weight of Leia's words sunk to the pit of Han's stomach. The two sat in silence for moment, letting the sentence hang in the air.

"I don't know who I am anymore. I don't have a home or a family. What's the point of being Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan when it doesn't even exist? I'm just...Leia."

"Just Leia is pretty great too. You're really smart and determined. You have unbelievable bravery and an extraordinary amount of sass." Leia let out a small laugh.

She breathed in deeply. "I just can't celebrate right now. But I can't grieve either. I'm in this agonizing middle ground that feels completely empty and torn. I want to sob, but I can't sum up tears. I want to scream, but my voice goes silent."

Han felt an immense amount of sadness for the young woman beside him. He instinctively wrapped his arm around Leia's shoulders. To his surprise, she didn't resist but rather fell into his embrace.

"Everyone grieves in their own way. Some people cry and scream. And others are silent. But it doesn't mean you don't feel anything. It means that you feel so much that mere tears can't express how you feel."

Leia looked up into Han's eyes with her deep, brown ones. "That was rather beautiful, Han Solo. Have you considered a life of poetry?" She grinned at him, the first time she'd really smiled since he met her. No sass, no sarcasm.

"Never. Too boring, smuggling keeps me on my toes."

Leia's face turned serious again and she said, "Fighting with the Rebellion would keep you on your toes too. Please stay, we need you. You're the best pilot I've ever seen."

The smuggler stared into Leia's pleading eyes. He found himself momentarily lost in her eyes. They were so deep, Han felt like they went on infinitely. So much of Leia's story was hidden in her eyes. Her joy, her determination, her pain, and now her desperation. Within that moment, he knew he couldn't leave the Rebel Alliance. Not just yet.

"All right. I'll stay," he told her.

The princess' face lit up even more than before. "Now that's a reason to celebrate!" She exclaimed.

Han laughed heartily. He realized that he hadn't laughed like that in a while. Gosh, this princess brought out sides of him he thought were long gone.

He gave her a mischievous look and said, "We could return to the party for a dance. To celebrate my staying."

Leia looked away from Han shyly, and Han immediately fell in love with this coy side of Princess Leia Organa.

"I suppose I could do _one_ dance."

Han took Leia lightly by the hand and led her back to the celebration. The second they walked in the music happened to change to a slow song. From the look on Leia's face, she was only prepared to do a fast dance with Han. However, she did not let go of Han's hand and allowed him to take her onto the dance floor.

The smuggler flashed his classic, lopsided grin at the princess, bowed, and stated in his most regal sounding voice, "May I have this dance?"

Leia rolled her eyes, but played along with Han's game and curtsied. "You may."

Han grasped Leia's tiny hand in his own and wrapped his other arm around her waist, drawing Leia close. He could feel her trembling slightly in his arms.

"You okay?"

She nodded. "I'm just a little nervous. I haven't danced with a man in a long time. Since my early teens. And it wasn't with a scoundrel smuggler like you!"

Han laughed again. "You think I'm a scoundrel?"

"No doubt in my mind."

The two swayed in time with the music, both losing sense of the world and only focusing on each other. Han noticed that having the princess in his arms felt so natural, like two pieces of a puzzle fitting together. Little did he know that Leia felt the same way.


	5. Age 22

**A.N.** **This chapter is inspired by Taylor Swift's "Fearless"! You never know when music will inspire you...**

Han sat on the ramp of the Millennium Falcon, looking out into the vast clouds of Cloud City. The sky was red and foreboding, almost telling Han that something bad was about to happen. But he wouldn't let anything else happen to Leia. He already hurt her by telling her he had to leave the Rebellion, then they couldn't even escape Hoth effectively because of the Falcon's malfunctioning hyperdrive. But Lando would fix it, they would fly out of here, and he would finally do something right for her. He would not, could not, fail her again.

He thought about the kiss they shared on the Falcon, how sweet and tender it was. Never in his life had he kissed a woman like that, and it caused him so much pain to think he would have to face slimy Jabba the Hutt and leave that wonderful woman behind. But if he stayed with the Rebellion he would put Leia in danger, and he could never forgive himself if some bounty hunter hurt her.

Han's mind flashed to Ord Mantell and he remembered Boba Fett, with his arm locked around Leia's neck and a blaster pointed at her head. He recalled the terror in her eyes, although she tried to keep a strong facade. He had begged for Leia's life, but he truly thought that Jabba's patience had run out, that he would lose her. He couldn't even remember how he got both of them out of the situation, all he could recollect was Boba releasing Leia and throwing her into his arms. Leia tried to act like it was nothing, as she quickly stood up, brushed herself off and moved on. But Han had felt her shaking violently when he caught her. Never, ever, would he make her go through that again.

Suddenly, he heard Leia's boots clicking on the ground as she approached the Falcon. Han looked up at her and noticed that she had her hair down for once. She sat down beside him and they both stared silently at the sky for a few minutes. There was something calming about Leia's presence next to him, and it helped bring Han out of the funk that had descended over him. However, Leia was too keen to his emotions not to notice.

"What's bothering you, Han?"

Han let out a sigh and ran his hands through his thick, brown hair. "I don't know. I just...I don't want to leave you after this. I can't bear the thought of not having you by my side."

The princess wrapped an arm around Han's shoulders. "Then don't leave. You're a huge asset to the Rebellion. And you're worth even a lot more to me."

Han turned to face Leia and grinned. "Do you really mean that?

She nodded and said, "You've always been there for me, Han. Remember me in grief about Alderaan? And you always get me out of trouble."

"But, everything I do is always such a mess! Ord Mantell, for starters. You were almost killed! And leaving Hoth was a nightmare with the asteroids and us getting stuck here. All I do is let you down."

Leia took Han's face gently in her hands. "But every time, you've saved me. It's hard for me to admit, because I like to save myself and be independent, but I cannot deny facts. You pulled out your best bargaining skills to free me from Boba Fett-"

"Yeah, I can't even remember how I got us out of that one."

"Rather impressively. You grabbed my arm and forced me out of the Rebel Base on Hoth, even when I resisted. Had I waited two more minutes, Vader would have gotten a hold of me." The thought sent chills down Han's spine.

"And, when I was grieving Alderaan," Leia's voice became gravely quiet. "You saved me from myself. I was spiraling into despair so fast, and you gave me something to hold onto."

Han let Leia's words sink in, the weight of his impending departure becoming more suffocating.

"Leia, you need to understand that I have to leave. Your face on Ord Mantell when Boba Fett had you...it'll haunt me forever. I cannot be the cause of that face again."

"But it wasn't you who caused it, it was Jabba!"

"And Jabba wouldn't be after me if I had paid him off in the first place! Look I'll-"

Han was cut off by a sudden downpour of rain. The Falcon kept the pair mostly dry, but the tips of their shoes were starting to get wet. Leia stared up at the sky and laughed.

"This is typical in Cloud City!" She shouted over the rain. "The clouds cause very unpredictable weather." Leia gave Han a devilish look, then leapt out from underneath the Falcon straight into the pouring rain. She spun around with her arms wide open, rain drenching her hair so that it was stuck pin straight against her back.

"Come on, join me!"

Han shook his head. "No way, Princess, you're delusional!"

The pint-sized woman put her hands on her hips, and Han knew this meant business. "Come out here right now, you nerf-herder!"

Han could not resist the infectious smile on her face mixed with her regal authority. He took a deep breath, then plunged out into the storm. The rain immediately seemed to cleanse him and wash away all of his worries. He glanced at Leia and began to laugh loudly.

"This feels amazing!" He shouted.

Leia nodded her head vigorously, and the two turned into children, running around the loading dock screaming and laughing. They met up in the middle out of breath.

"Han," Leia panted. "May I...have...this dance?" She subsequently bowed, her wet locks flopping in front of her face.

"Hey, I thought the gentleman was supposed to ask the lady to dance! Not the other way around."

Leia grabbed Han's hand and pulled him into her arms. "You know I'm a modern woman."

With the patter of rain as their music, the couple danced all over the place, engaging in a crude form of the polka that took them across every square inch of the loading dock. When they tired out, they merely held each other and swayed back and forth. Within time, the downpour became a light mist. Leia pulled herself away from Han's chest to look him in the eyes.

"Han, please stay," she whispered.

He took in all of Leia's beauty in that moment. Never had he seen her more beautiful. Her hair was starting to curl around her face, and her face was decorated with tiny, crystalline droplets of water. And her eyes were the richest brown yet. He reached down and planted a light kiss on Leia's lips. He could taste the fresh rain on them. When their lips parted, four little words escaped his lips unexpectedly.

"I love you, Leia."

The young woman looked up at him in shock, and he could tell he surprised her. Leia was at a loss for words and couldn't respond, but Han knew she loved him too. Her eyes gave her away every time.

Leia began to shiver and her teeth started to chatter. He folded her into his embrace and said, "We should head inside, I'm getting cold too."

Han and Leia walked side by side back into Lando's palace. He glanced down at Leia's soaked snowsuit and stated, "You are definitely going to need some new clothes."


	6. Age 25

The Death Star II had exploded. Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine were dead. The Empire was defeated. And Princess Leia was celebrating this great joy in the arms of the man she loved.

The celebration in the Ewok Village was settling down, the last fires beginning to die out. But Han Solo and Princess Leia were still swaying to and fro. They didn't want this day to end, this day when their lives were in complete harmony for the first time. Well, almost in complete harmony. Leia was still grappling with the news that Vader was her father, and she hadn't told Han yet. But she could deal with that another day. Right now, all that mattered was that she was in love, she had a caring brother for the first time, and that the Empire no longer cast a shadow over everything she did.

Leia lifted her head from Han's shoulder and noticed that they were the only two people left at the party.

"Han?" She whispered.

"Mhmm?" He responded as if in a daze.

"Shouldn't we go to sleep now?"

Han shook his head. "I don't think so, Princess. I don't want to let you go ever again."

Leia slapped his chest playfully. "You have to let me go eventually! We can't dance forever, as wonderful as that sounds."

"But when we wake up tomorrow, life is going to start again. You're going to start building the New Republic, and I know you'll barely emerge from your office. We won't be able to spend as much time together like we have in the past. Although I'm grateful that the Empire is destroyed, I'm going to kind of miss these adventures we've had."

"I know...things will be different. But you'll still see me, I'll make sure of it. I can talk to Mon Mothma about controlling the amount of hours I work and-" She was interrupted by Han's chuckling. "What's so funny, flyboy?"

"It's just that I know you, Leia. You are too passionate about the New Republic and will devote as much time as you can to its success. And I love that about you. I don't mind taking the back seat for a while."

"But I don't want you to take the back seat! You need to be in the co-pilot's chair, right by my side!"

"You know that I'm no good at all that political stuff. The Rebellion will probably make me do more supply runs..."

"Fine, take a back seat for all I care!" Leia threw up her arms in frustration. "It almost sounds like you're trying to get rid of me!"

Han scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, Princess. I want to be closer to you; you know that! Why don't we just get married?!"

Leia gasped, then squinted at Han skeptically. "Are you serious?"

The scoundrel she loved blushed, and she loved him even more. "Yeah. Let's get married. Let's be closer than we've ever been before."

Leia's eyes watered, and just as she was about to accept, her mouth blurted out, "I can't."

Taken aback, Han stammered, "W-why? I thought you'd want this as much as I do."

"I want to marry you more than anything, but...I'm not worthy of you." She whispered.

"Not worthy? I'm the one who's not worthy of you, you're the Princess!"

Leia took a deep breath, knowing what she had to do. "Han, I have something to tell you."

Not liking the sound of where this was going, Han took a seat on a log behind him. Leia sat down next to him.

"When I found out that Luke is my brother, I learned something else. Something rather...shocking."

This was it. _Goodbye, Han Solo._

"What is it? You can tell me anything, Leia."

"Luke and I...our father...he's," One last breath. "Darth Vader."

Han looked surprised for a moment, and Leia could see him trying to fit pieces of the puzzle together.

However, he gave up after a minute and said, "Well, what does this have to do with our getting married?"

"Why would you want to marry Darth Vader's daughter?" Leia stared at her shoes, ashamed. "The man who tortured you, who froze you in carbonite, handed you off to Jabba. A man who has committed the worst crimes in the galaxy. His blood runs through my veins."

Han stroked Leia's cheek. "But I'm not marrying Darth Vader, I'm marrying you. The woman who believed there was more to me than money, the woman who _saved_ me from carbonite, the woman who gave me hope after an empty life of smuggling. The most beautiful woman in the galaxy."

A tear escaped Leia's eye. "You mean all of those things?"

Han nodded affectionately.

"But, what if we have children and they're more susceptible to the Dark Side? What would we do, is it right for us to bring into the world-"

Han stopped Leia's rambling with a kiss on her lips. "Let's set aside the 'what ifs' and focus on 'right nows'. Right now I love you and I want marry you. And we'll deal with children, the Dark Side, and whatever else the Force throws our way later. What do you say?"

The princess' face broke into a huge grin. "Okay. Let's get married!"

Han laughed, picked up the princess, and swung her around in the air. He placed her lightly in front of him, and asked, "May I have this dance?"

"Han...it's getting late..."

"One last dance for this beautiful day?"

"Fine, you scoundrel."


	7. Age 26

The crowd applauded and cheered as Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo burst through the doors of the wedding hall. The newly married couple held their arms up high, hand-in-hand, with huge smiles across their faces. Leia gasped as she saw that the guest were throwing petals of Alderaanian ruby roses, a now rare flower since the destruction of Alderaan. Wedding tradition stated that flower petals of a species from the bride's home planet were thrown as the couple exited the service.

She looked up at Han in complete shock. "I thought we decided on daisies from Coruscant!"

"I let you _believe_ we decided on daisies from Coruscant. While behind your back, I scoured the galaxy to find just a couple of these flowers. You deserve flowers from Alderaan, especially your favorite flowers." Han winked at his wife and took in the beautiful sights around him.

Leia's eyes watered with tears of joy. "Oh Han, this is exactly why I married you!" She planted a passionate kiss on his cheek.

Han feigned hurt. "Not because of my charming personality and astoundingly good looks?"

The princess rolled her eyes. "I suppose those are side-benefits."

Husband and wife, they made their way to the car. Now it was time for a party.

Leia was deep in conversation with Luke, and Han had just returned from getting a drink with Lando when the band called Leia and Han to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

As they were swaying slowly across the dance floor, Leia caught a hint of blush in Han's cheeks.

"Are you embarrassed? If you're embarrassed to be seen with me, Han, it's too late now. You're stuck with me."

Han chuckled. "I wouldn't want to be stuck with anybody else. No, I'm not embarrassed, just shy I suppose."

"Why? We've danced together many times before this."

"Not with all of these people watching us like we're an event at the zoo," Han whispered into her ear. He tried not to offend anybody as much as possible. Not for his sake, he personally didn't care, but Leia's.

Leia laughed softly. "Then just imagine we're back on Cloud City-"

"I'd rather not!"

"You know what I mean! Before the Empire found us. On the loading dock in the rain. The only two people who mattered were you and me."

Han smiled, recalling how he confessed his love to her, how beautiful and radiant she was drenched from the rain. All of a sudden, he felt like Leia was the only person in the room. And before he knew it, the dance was over.

As the couple started to walk back to their table, another announcement came out over the speaker. Leia turned around to find General Rieekan holding the mic.

He cleared his throat and said, "Princess Leia, I have known you for many years. I witnessed you lead the Rebellion, watched you fall in love with this man, and protected you like my own daughter. Now I know that I could never come close to being Bail Organa, but I've always felt like a father to you. And I would love if I could have a sort of father-daughter dance with you. May I have this dance? For Bail?"

Tears sprung to Leia's eyes, and she worked desperately to keep them in as she nodded and moved back to the dance floor.

General Rieekan took Leia into his arms tenderly. She could feel how much he truly loved her, how much he cared for her well-being.

"Now, make sure than Solo takes good care of you, Princess. You are very precious to a lot of people, and he will find himself in a lot of trouble if he ever hurts you."

Leia giggled. "I know how much you love Han, and you know he would never hurt me. He really does quite the opposite. He heals me."

Rieekan looked down at Leia adoringly, and she stared right back. The pair danced in silence for a few moments, until Leia had a burning question to ask him.

"General? Do you think my father would have liked Han?"

The general took in a deep breath, staring off into the distance as if hoping to see Bail suddenly appear in the doorway.

"I think Bail would have seen the way that Han comforts you, protects you, obviously loves you fiercely. Like he did for you as his daughter. And he would have felt safe handing over his daughter to a man with such character. So yes, I think your father would have loved Han."

A couple of tears escaped down Leia's cheek. "My father would have been honored to have you as a father figure in my life."

"And I have been honored to be your father figure, Princess Leia Organa Solo."


	8. Age 39

**A.N. For the next couple of chapters, I will be following the TFA canon.**

Leia was enjoying a calm evening by the fireplace, reading through some reports. The New Republic was now finally becoming self-sufficient and functional, after years of hard work and effort. However, that did not mean that there wasn't a substantial workload for the princess.

Snow was falling lightly on the city of Coruscant and every once in a while, Leia would look up from her work to watch the fluttering snowflakes out the window or enjoy the dance of the flames in the fireplace.

Han was having a boys' night out with Luke and Chewie and Leia had the house to herself. Well, her and Ben. But Ben would mostly likely stay up in his room for the evening building model spaceships or reading. While most people disapproved of Ben's shyness, Leia found it endearing. There was nothing wrong with her son if he wanted to spend his time alone. She couldn't count how many meetings she had to have with the school's counselor this year about how Ben would spend his lunches reading or listening to music. In elementary school, he was criticized for going to the art room during recess instead of playing outside.

But Leia recently discovered something that would blow all of the school counselors away: Ben asked a young girl to the Winter Ball. Leia couldn't believe that he had taken such a leap of faith, but she couldn't be prouder. The girl, named Shirley, was thrilled about the prospect, and Ben couldn't stop talking about her. He would yammer on and on to Han and Leia about how pretty she was, how she was really smart, and about all the jokes that made her laugh.

To Leia's surprise, she saw Ben standing at the foot of the stairs. He wore a sullen expression.

"Hey Ben, what's the matter?"

Ben stared at his feet and mumbled, "I don't want to go to the Winter Ball anymore."

Leia stood up and knelt down before the twelve-year-old. "Why is that? You've been so excited. You spent hours at the mall picking out the perfect suit, and you already know what flower corsage to get her. Why this sudden change of heart?"

"I forgot that the Winter Ball is a dance."

Leia did not know how to respond to her son right away. "Um...I don't understand. Why would that affect things?"

"I can't dance."

Leia let out a light laugh. "Ah, I see. Don't worry Ben, that's not a problem. I'll teach you how."

Ben looked at his mother skeptically. " _You_ know how to dance?"

"Sure I do! I may not dance as much as I used to, but I've experienced many dances in my life. I'm an expert," Leia replied.

"Is it hard to learn?"

"Not at all. All right, come over here." Leia moved to the center of the living room. The room was starting to darken, only lit by the twinkling lights of the city outside.

"First, you always ask the lady to dance. It's only polite. So ask me, 'May I have this dance?'"

Ben giggled and asked in a stately manner, "May I have this dance?"

"Very good! Now, back when I was your age, the man would bow and the lady would curtsy. This tradition has fallen out of practice and is rarely done anymore. However, I think it is wise that we practice all circumstances. So bow..." Leia motioned forwards to Ben. Ben proceeded to bow slightly.

"And I will curtsy." Leia pretended to flounce an imaginary dress. "This next part is important: where you place your hands. You don't want to give a lady the wrong idea, so you must hold her in the appropriate places."

Ben blushed and whined, "Mom! Don't talk like that, it's gross!"

Leia placed her hands on her hips. "Do you want to learn to dance or not?" Ben bit his lip and nodded his head shyly.

"You take the girl's right hand in yours, then you place your left hand on her hip." Leia guided Ben through all of the directions, setting up for a dance themselves. She gently place her left hand on Ben's shoulder. "And she will put her left hand here like so."

"Now what? None of this is dancing!" Ben complained.

"Shush, we are just getting to that now. All you have to do is sway to the music. The rest should come naturally. And make sure there is room for the Force between you two!"

"Mom!"

Leia laughed. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."

Mother and son began to sway back and forth, dancing only to the sound of the crackling fire. Ben's steps were a little awkward at first and he almost lost his balance a few times, but eventually the movements became smooth.

"Mama, there is no music. How are we really supposed to dance without music?"

"You're right. I'll fix that." Not wanting to leave her son's embrace, Leia decided to hum a little Alderaanian lullaby.

Ben stared into his mother's eyes with his own dark brown ones. At twelve he was already as tall as she was. "What are you singing?"

"Oh, just a little something I've danced to before."

The two stayed dancing for a while longer, all the while Leia admiring her son. He was growing up into a little man already. Han was teaching him how to fly the Falcon, and now he was beginning to have an interest in girls. She couldn't be prouder of her courageous, intelligent, kind son.

Han walked in the front door of their apartment, kicking snow off of his boots. "We might as well be back on Hoth it is so cold out there-" He stopped when he saw Leia and Ben dancing together, a smile splitting across his face. "What do we have here?"

Ben immediately separated himself from his mother's arms, embarrassment showing in his blushing face. He gave one last grateful look at Leia and said, "Thanks for the dance, Mama." He kissed her quickly on the cheek and bolted up the stairs. Han and Leia shared a glance and giggled.

"Well, I've haven't seen you dance with another man in years. I haven't seen you dance in years, period," Han said.

Leia smiled, a wistful look gracing her face. "He is a man now, isn't he?"

Han approached Leia and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I think he'll always be our little boy, no matter what." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

The couple turned to face each other. "Still have time for another dance before you leave the ball?" Han asked.

"With a scoundrel like you? Absolutely not."

But Leia instinctually folded herself into Han's embrace for yet another dance with her scoundrel, letting the last few snowflakes in Han's hair drift down and rest on her eyelashes.


	9. Age 55

General Leia leaned back in her desk chair, mulling over everything that had occurred in the past few days. A stormtrooper named Finn had betrayed the First Order in favor of the Resistance, information about Starkiller Base was acquired, and Han was back in her life.

She pressed her hand to her forehead, a dull headache beginning to emerge. Leia had barely spoken to Han since he arrived, she was too busy with the new leads for the Resistance. Despite all the pain of the last five years, she loved seeing his face around the base again. It reminded her of the old days, when life was comparatively simpler to now. The impact of the First Order was more direct and personal than the Empire, because her child was the one inflicting the pain. Her little boy. _Their_ little boy.

Her mind directed back to Han, Leia's heart ached at the thought of him leaving tomorrow. Suddenly, there was a knock at her office door.

"Come in," Leia responded. Standing in the doorway was her scoundrel. Leia hid her happiness at seeing Han and chose sass instead.

"What are you doing here? Come to give me a goodnight kiss?"

Han smirked. "You haven't stopped working late hours, have you? I guess some things never change."

"I'm not working, just...thinking," Leia said. "Really Han, why are you here?" She asked gently.

Han stared at the ground and shuffled his feet. He looked like a teenage boy about to ask a girl to the prom. "I just wanted to talk to you. Maybe figure out what happened between us. Fix things."

"You ran away. Period. You didn't want to face the pain, our pain. I had to face it alone, which I was fine with by the way! I had dealt with pain on my own many times before."

"Hey, don't put all of the blame on me, Your Worship!"

Leia almost laughed. "I haven't heard that name in a while."

Han ignored the comment and continued, "You pushed me away! You could barely look at me after...after..."

"Just say it Han, it's not like it's a big secret! After our son fell to the Dark Side and began to terrorize the galaxy! When people began to look at us like monsters too, whispering about what we could have done to create such a horrible human being!" Leia realized that a couple of tears were streaming down her face.

Han's face immediately softened upon seeing her tears. He had the same soft spot for the princess that he had since the moment he met her. Han brushed a tear away from her cheek and took her hands in his.

"Shh, Leia, it's okay. People don't think that about you now, after seeing what an amazing job you've done with the Resistance. I'd love to hear what they have to say about me though..."

"But our son is still filled with the Dark Side. That hasn't changed."

"It will. He'll see the Light soon, and I know you have faith in him."

Leia stared up at Han with her deep brown eyes. They were a little less bright after the years of hardships she had faced, but they still had that same determined spark. "I never stopped having faith in him."

Han wrapped Leia up in his arms and swayed her from side-to-side for a little while. Leia placed her head on his chest and let herself feel safe in his arms again after years of distance.

"Han?"

"Yeah, Princess?"

"It's almost like we're dancing again," Leia said with a little smile.

"Yeah...and it feels exactly the same. Just like the first time."

"Not for me," Leia stated. "I remember feeling very nervous to be dancing with a scoundrel like you. Now I feel safer than ever before."

Han eyes became distant, searching his memories from long ago. "I remember being utterly excited to dance with you. I cherished every second because I thought that dance would be the only one. I thought you'd never dance with me again."

"Boy, were you wrong."

The pair chuckled and continued holding each other and moving in sync.

"I was always so formal when I danced with you. Asking, 'May I have this dance?' and stuff. Now we don't even need music. We're so close we can merely hold each other and it's a dance."

"Sometimes the best dances are the spontaneous ones."

The couple broke their embrace to look at each other, but kept their hands together.

"I'm going to miss you terribly, Han. When you go."

Han stared into his wife's eyes lovingly. He would miss those eyes. "I always come back, Sweetheart. Even if it takes me years sometimes, I always come back to you."


	10. Age 92

Leia Organa's frail body rested on the hospital bed. She marveled at how it only took two years of sickness to weaken the Resistance's strongest general, after the other ninety years of hardship she had faced. But the good can outweigh the bad in the end, and the struggles only made her stronger.

There was a knock at the door. A man with long black, slightly graying hair entered her room. He smiled gently at Leia, moved over to the bed and took Leia's hand in his.

"How are you today, Mother?"

Leia grinned widely at her son Ben, the pride and joy of her life. He was strong like her. He turned back to the Light after years in the Dark, a task only accomplished by one other person in history: Anakin Skywalker. The Force was strong in their family.

"I'm feeling better now that you're here. How are you?"

Ben stared out the window, concern etched across his features.

"The doctors say you don't have much more time." Leia noticed a tear trickle down his face.

"Oh, sweetheart, don't cry." She moved to wipe the tear from his face. "If I had a nickel for every time I've faced death, I could buy the whole galaxy."

Ben laughed lightly, but his face was still serious. "I need to ask you something. It's been years since I've returned from the Light. I've paid for my crimes, tried to piece my life back together. But how have you forgiven me for everything I've done?"

His mind returned to the moment he faced his mother for the first time as Ben Solo after being Kylo Ren for so long. He stood before her and said the only four words he could muster. Four words that could never encompass the regret and pain he felt. "I'm so sorry, Mama."

He saw the love glistening in her eyes, and just like that she had wrapped him up in her arms as he sobbed, rubbing his back and telling him it would be all right.

Leia looked upon her son now with the same undying love in her eyes. "Because you're my little boy. I knew you when you were completely innocent and pure. And despite all that's happened, I will always see the Light in you."

Ben gave Leia a watery smile and kissed her on the cheek. Another knock sounded at the door and Luke appeared in the doorway. Despite his aging body, walker, and huge glasses, he was still the finest Jedi in the galaxy.

"Hey, sis! I have a surprise for you!" Luke made his way slowly to Leia's bedside, dragging along a suitcase of heavy equipment.

"Uncle Luke, let me help you with that!" Ben jumped up and picked up the suitcase. "What is this?"

Luke seated himself in a chair beside Leia. "Lando was going through some salvaged materials from Cloud City, you know, things that were recovered from before the Empire took over. And he found this." Luke pulled out an old holo-vid tape from the suitcase.

Leia eyed the tape and responded sassily. "And?"

"Lando let me borrow some equipment that could play this old thing, and I think you will appreciate what is on here. Ben, help me set this up."

After twenty minutes of attaching wires, plugging in cords and cursing, the beast of a machine was running. Luke inserted the tape and Leia saw an overhead image of the landing dock on Cloud City. The first thing she noticed was the massive Millennium Falcon.

"Luke, what is this?" She asked warily.

"A security tape from Cloud City. Just watch."

Leia squinted her aging eyes and gasped when she saw a male figure sitting by the Falcon that she would recognize anywhere, even though she hadn't seen him for years.

"Han."

Next, Leia saw a young version of herself strut out along the dock towards the young Solo. Gosh, she couldn't remember the last time she had that much bounce in her step. Her eyes widened as she realized what was on this tape. "Oh...my...goodness."

Leia watched the scene unfold as if she was watching a romantic holo-film. She could see them arguing, although she couldn't remember exactly what it was about. They bickered too often for her to recollect each individual fight.

Suddenly, rain started pouring from the sky. Leia watched her and Han running through the rain like two children, eyes watering at the joy and youth emanating from the couple. Then they danced, and Leia could almost feel Han's strong arms around her again. When they stopped dancing and stood still, the lack of sound from the tape provided no context as to what was happening. But Leia could remember this moment as if it was yesterday.

 _Leia pulled herself away from Han's chest to look him in the eyes._

 _"Han, please stay," she whispered._

 _He took in all of Leia's beauty in that moment. Never had he seen her more beautiful. Her hair was starting to curl around her face, and her face was decorated with tiny, crystalline droplets of water. And her eyes were the richest brown yet. He reached down and planted a light kiss on Leia's lips. He could taste the fresh rain on them. When their lips parted, four little words escaped his lips unexpectedly._

 _"I love you, Leia."_

 _The young woman looked up at him in shock, and he could tell he surprised her. Leia was at a loss for words and couldn't respond, but Han knew she loved him too. Her eyes gave her away every time._

"I love you too, Han," Leia murmured under her breath, as if saying a sacred prayer. She realized that a few tears had managed their way down her cheeks.

"Leia, I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you sad!" Luke pleaded.

She shook her head. "Luke, it's okay. These are tears of joy. I was able to dance with Han one last time. In a way."

Leia rested her back down against the pillow. The trio sat in silence for a long time as Leia's breathing slowed. Luke wrapped his arms around his sister and rocked her lightly back and forth, a sort of waltz to the beat of her slowing heartbeat. He wanted to be with the person he entered the world with as she left it.

"Leia?" He whispered to her.

"Mhmm?"

"What are the first words you're going to say to Han when you enter the Force?"

The smallest smile appeared on Leia's lips, and right before Luke felt her presence dim in the Force she said, "May I have this dance?"

 **A.N. There is just one more, epilogue-type chapter after this! Thanks for reading!**


	11. Into the Force

**A.N. This is the last chapter, everyone! :( Thank you so much for all of the reviews, they've really warmed my heart. This is dedicated to Carrie Fisher. May she live on in the Force forever.**

As the shimmering light of the Force rippled in and out of her vision, Leia found herself walking along a dirt path. She couldn't see anything else around her except light. Leia felt weightless as she continued down the path, because in the Force there were no burdens, no darkness.

In the distance, Leia thought she heard the faint sound of music. She cocked her ear to discern the tune, and gasped when she realized what the song was. It was an Alderaanian folk tune, one she hadn't heard since she was a child. The memory came to her in a flash.

 _Laughing harder, Leia gathered up her skirts and waded through the water to meet William on the grass. The two bowed and curtsied to one another before engaging in a wild, Alderaanian folk dance. They spun to and fro, bare feet intertwined with the lake grasses. Leia's hair danced around her shoulders in time with their feet, and pure droplets of water leapt off of their bodies and glistened in the air._

Suddenly, Leia noticed dew-soaked grass appear around the dirt path in front of her. She dipped one foot into it and curled her toes around the soft blades of grass. All around her, water droplets danced in the air, landing in her hair and settling on her eyelashes.

The water pooled at Leia's feet and she glanced down to see her reflection. A hand flew to her mouth when she saw the young face of an innocent princess from years before. Her eyes were sparkling and full of fire, not dulled by years of hardship. All of her battle scars were washed away, her face smooth and glasslike. And there was a huge smile on her face, a smile that had never turned into a frown.

Leia kept walking along the path, squinting through the bright light to see what was on the other side. The music kept getting louder and louder, and she began to hear people's voices. Some of them were speaking in a tongue she hadn't heard since... _It couldn't be true,_ Leia thought.

Just as her disbelief was rising, Leia spotted the hazy image of a snowcapped mountain in the distance. _I'm home._ Leia broke into a run, her face aglow and her laugh resounding as her feet pounded the ground earnestly.

Finally, she broke through the light to the sound of applause. Millions of voices cried out, "All hail the return of Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan!" "Welcome home, Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan!"

Snowcapped mountains surrounded Leia on all sides, and she drank in a planet she thought was gone forever. Her Alderaan. Light glistened on the horizon as she saw the palace far away, a place she had long since relinquished to her childhood memory.

Leia looked all around her and saw her people once more. She recognized bakers and butchers, shopkeepers and entertainers. They were all smiling and waving at her, welcoming their princess home.

Her eyes soon landed on two people she recognized more than anyone. Leia let out a shout of joy and yelled while running into their arms, "Mama! Papa!"

Leia's parents gathered her up in an embrace that radiated love. Her mother grabbed her face and kissed her cheeks repeatedly. "We've been waiting for you," she said, tears leaking from her eyes.

"I've missed you so much," Leia choked through her tears.

Bail picked Leia up and swung her around, laughing heartily. "Lelila, Lelila..." he repeated over an over. He placed her down and stroked her nose lovingly, sending a warm feeling throughout Leia's body. She hadn't felt her father's gesture of affection in so long, and it made her truly feel back home.

"It took you quite a while to return home from that mission I sent you on," Bail said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Leia was about to respond when a gruff voice interrupted from behind.

"Hey, Sweetheart."

Leia's eyes lit up and widened. She turned slowly to find Han Solo standing there, his holster slung on his hips and a lopsided grin on his face. He looked as young as the day she had met him, with even less weariness etched into his face.

The princess ran into his strong arms and she kissed him with more passion than she knew possible. In that moment, she could feel and remember every kiss they ever shared. She drew in a deep breath and could still smell the Falcon on his shirt. Nothing in the galaxy compared to the love she felt now.

She looked up at Han with watery eyes and stammered emotionally, "May I have this dance?"

Han laughed and stroked Leia's cheek. "You may."

Han grasped Leia's tiny hand in his own and wrapped his other arm around her waist, drawing Leia close. She could feel him trembling slightly in her arms.

"You okay?"

He nodded. "I'm just a little nervous. I haven't danced with anyone in a long time. Since you."

 _ **THE END**_


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